After the Civil War, when black citizens began to gain power in Southern politics, some white lawmakers passed legislation making it nearly impossible for black citizens to cast votes. They levied outrageous poll taxes and required difficult-to-pass literacy tests.

The memory of these unjust practices has been stirred in recent weeks in Virginia, where some college students have encountered obstacles. Virginia Tech students were incorrectly told that if they voted locally, their out-of-the-area parents couldn’t claim them on income tax forms. Or they might lose scholarships, if the scholarships originated in their hometowns. In Norfolk, the registrar banned from registering any students who live in dorms.

Some charged that these unnecessary hoops were intimidation tactics, prompted by worries that young voters will favor Barack Obama. But Virginia elections officials say no such conspiracy exists. They argue that the state’s vague election requirements give local registrars some leeway in interpretation.

However, in 1979 the Supreme Court ruled that college students have the right to register to vote where they attend college. (Virginia registrars have since backed off from their stringent requirements.)

Fortunately, college students in Washington and Idaho won’t face the hassles of Virginia’s young voters.

“You can register to vote in the county (where) you are going to school. You register just like anyone else would,” explained Paul Brandt, director of election communications for Spokane County. “(You) must have lived in the state for 30 days, but 30 days in the dorm room will count.”

Deedie Beard, Kootenai County elections supervisor, said Idaho encourages college students to get absentee ballots from their hometowns and vote that way because it helps streamline voter rolls. The operative word, Beard stresses, is “encourages.” Idaho is well aware of the Supreme Court decision.

So if students choose to register in their college towns, the registration process is the same as for all Idaho residents. They must have lived in Idaho for 30 days prior to Election Day. Idaho voters can even register to vote on Election Day by going to their polling places with proper identification and proof of that 30-day residency requirement.

The history of the struggles faced by black voters, women voters, and poor and illiterate voters should serve as an example to young people today. To vote is a precious right, hard won by people in this country’s past. Young people can express their gratitude by registering. The easier elections officials make it for them to express that gratitude, the better – for students and the entire country.